


One and the Same

by inkprince



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Blackwatch McCree, Canon-Typical Violence, Eventual Romance, Friendship, Gen, Gore, Other, Slow Burn, lots of background building during mccree and genji's overwatch times, overwatch genji, will put more tags as things progress
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-30
Updated: 2016-08-17
Packaged: 2018-07-27 17:00:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,509
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7626655
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inkprince/pseuds/inkprince
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jesse McCree found the world outside of the Deadlock Gang and Route 66 to be a wondrous place and here in the Swiss headquarters of Overwatch was where he met Genji Shimada, the younger son of the late Shimada clan leader. After Genji's body is rebuilt by Dr. Angela Ziegler, the doctor asks if McCree could help him get accustomed to the world the cyborg now occupied in. One small promise made by McCree leads the young Blackwatch recruit to set off on a journey to another fascinating place, a life intertwined with Genji's.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Promise

**Author's Note:**

> I'm actually very new to writing/posting fics so any feedback is very much appreciated.
> 
> This fic is based around seven years after McCree joins Overwatch so from what I've gathered, this is during the golden age of Overwatch after the Omnic Crisis and when they're preoccupied with the Shimada clan and Talon. Age and timing of this is not 100% accurate and purely based on the ages listed on a picture found off Twitter (I can link if I can). In this, McCree is 24 and Genji is 22. Most of it will focus on McCree and Genji handling their place in Overwatch and with each other.
> 
> If I get any obvious lore/info wrong please let me know! I'd like my fics to be a comfortable read.

There were some important news to be heard today at a meeting for the higher ups of Overwatch, Jesse included surprisingly. It seemed like a big deal, but to him, there were more pressing matters. Lunch. His favorite time of the day.  
  
Looking at his watch hit noon, he joyously took a bite out of his pastrami sandwich as he sat on top of the roof, enjoying the nice sunny weather and a cold breeze at the Swiss headquarters. Looking beyond the city were the snowy mountains he always found so breathtaking. There was never anything like this back on Route 66.

One bite after another, the sandwich was gone and with one big gulp of water, his lunch was finished.  
  
“Ahh! Nothin’ like a good lunch on this beautiful day!” he said to himself. He stretched and laid on his back, looking up at the blue sky with a few puffy white clouds. He rested his hands on his stomach with his hat clutched tightly in his palms, closing his eyes and listening to the breeze, enjoying the moment. He’d figure Gabriel would find him to go practice or something after the meeting. _What I'd give for more time like this,_ he thought. He could almost hear Gabriel nagging at him about his posture, his stance, and most of all, damn him, his aim. It wasn't even that bad. Jesse knew that he could get every single target Gabriel threw at him with, but there was always something.  
  
“ _Look at that, you're off by 5 inches McCree! The enemy is still shooting at you!_ ” he could hear Gabriel chew him out in his head.  
  
“Yeah, yeah whatever you say Gabe, but you're forgetting I can just land another one on them the next time,” he muttered to himself. He could hear the exasperated sigh that he knew all too well.  
  
“ _You’re forgetting that there might not be a next time._ ”  
  
Jesse opened his eyes and raised his left arm up to the sky, the metal reflecting the sunlight, and then back to his face. He could see a distorted reflection of himself in it, his expression showing discomfort from the thought he just had. He could hear the regret in Gabriel’s voice, the tenseness when he said the word next, and the expression on Gabriel’s face. He wished he could tell Gabriel that it wasn’t his fault, that he was the one who actually saved him but Gabriel walls himself off and leaves, ending the memory.  
  
Another cold breeze lifted his hat off from his stomach as Jesse’s thoughts wandered off. He got up in a panic, chasing it across the roof until finally catching it a few inches away from the edge. A sigh of relief escaped him and promptly put the hat on his head. He heard footsteps come from the stairway that led to the roof, the clicks of heels. He recognized the steps, it was Angela’s.

“Figured you’d be here,” she called out, crossing her arms as she walked towards him. She looked insanely tired, her eyes slightly bloodshot and her hair tied up in her usual ponytail. The lab coat she wore had a few coffee stains on it. 

“Howdy Angela. Is...everything okay?” Jesse asked, still securing the hat on his head.

“Mhm,” she muttered. She looked distant, maybe even sad. “I just needed some fresh air. It’s been pretty busy at the clinic.”

“I reckon. We did have a lot of people comin’ in because of the attacks right?” he asked.

“Yeah quite a few. They’re all doing fine thankfully,” she replied with the same distant tone. She swayed a little, trying to find courage to talk.“Jesse...could I ask for a favor?”

He looked at her a little dumbfounded. Angela was incredibly independent and on multiple times had been a running joke to shut down Jesse’s gracious offer of help.

“Not like you to be askin’ for favors, but I do owe you one after patching me up from the last operation,” Jesse agreed.

“Jesse, we’re friends. Of course I’ll patch you up, however I might be asking for something big,” she said with a slight smile. She knew that just talking to Jesse could cheer her up. He just always had that personality.

“What is it?” he asked.

Angela looked at the snow capped mountains in front of them and sighed.

“Today’s meeting was to talk about the special new agent we recruited. I know you weren’t there but do you remember?”

Jesse thought back to of all the mind numbing meetings he had to attend, recalling an argument Gabriel and Jack got into about cornering a possible agent into joining. Maybe it was the same one?

“Remind me again,” he admitted sheepishly.

“It was a while back, maybe about three weeks ago? Anyways, we saved this person from a mission in Japan while dealing with the Shimada clan. He was seriously injured, but in exchange for helping him recover, he agreed to help us contain the Shimada clan,” Angela explained, clicking the pen in her breast pocket. “It took a while but I was able to help him recover with some, ah, necessary operations. He’s in perfect health now and the others have been talking about getting ready for the next operation in Japan. The thing that I’m worried about is his mental and emotional state.”

Jesse listened silently, wondering how he fit into all of this.

“He’s been very quiet lately. I’ve tried talking to him but he tells me that he just wants to be left alone. We’ve had to keep him a secret because Gabriel asked us to, so he wasn’t able to leave the clinic. I feel like he’s very lonely, and maybe he’s tired of seeing me and talking to me,” she said, wrapping the lab coat tighter as another gust blew. She turned to Jesse. “What I’m getting at is that he needs a friend. Someone other than the people in the clinic and me. Someone different.”

Jesse looked at a bit confused, scratching the scruff on his chin.

“I dunno Angela, maybe you’re asking the wrong guy. I’m not really the person to get all friendly with people,” he reasoned. “Besides, he might do the same thing to me. Wait, does he even speak English?”

“I know what you’re getting at but all I’m asking is to try, and yes, he does. Like I said, I’ve talked with him,” she laughed. “ You don’t want to acknowledge it Jesse, but you have a good heart and I think you would help him out a lot,” Angela reassured with a smile.

Jesse turned away for a bit, feeling his cheeks get a little hot. He pulled his hat down a little to cover his expression. He didn’t realize Angela thought of him so highly.

“Haha, I didn’t mean to embarrass you Jesse! I was only telling the truth, but... I would really appreciate it if you would help me out on this. He’s about our age, so I’m sure you’ll get along. You just need to be persistent,” she said, hope filling in her eyes.

“You know what, sure. I’ll take up the task Angela,” Jesse said excitedly. “Though one question, what did ya mean by “necessary” operations?”

“Oh..right. I’m just so used to keeping it a secret,” Angela explained, putting the pen away for good. She crossed her arms, thinking of a way to word it. “I suppose it’s how you got your forearm, but it’s his entire body.”

“What? You mean, the whole thing?” Jesse questioned with a look of wonder. Just thinking back to the weird phase of having a new arm to get used to, he could only imagine what it was like having an entire body feeling that way.

“Well not everything, but it will easier to explain when you see it,” she reassured. “When he was brought into my clinic, well, it was the worse I’ve ever seen. I was told that his brother tried to murder him, thankfully we were able to save him.”

“Geez, his brother? Must’ve been some feud.”

“That’s really all I know. He’s been rather silent about it since he’s been more awake,” Angela said. “But Jesse, promise me you’ll try? He doesn’t deserve to be alone, especially after what he’s been through.”

Jesse exhaled, his breath making smoke as he wondered how he was going to befriend this guy. He wasn’t really that great at making friends in the first place, but after what Angela said to him, it felt that maybe he wasn’t all that bad after all. Maybe he could start doing right by doing this for her, for him.

“Alright, I promise,” he said confidently, putting his hands on his hips. “Who is he anyways? You’ve been talking so confidential Angela.”

“Right, his name. Sorry. Force of habit. You know how scary Gabriel can be,” she said laughing a little. “He’s the younger son of the late Shimada clan leader. His name is Genji Shimada.”


	2. Nightmare

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, I just wanted to say thank you to everyone that enjoyed the first chapter. It was posted on a whim but I'm excited to keep on writing. Enjoy.

It was a cloudless spring night in Hanamura, the moon having the entire sky as it’s stage. The air was chilly, with a slight breeze that rustled the cherry blossom petals off the trees. Genji slid open the door of the entrance to his home slowly, hoping none of the guards would hear him. He’d been out late again at the arcade with friends, showing off his katana to them to prove to them that it was the real deal. They were skeptical that he had one or even knew how to use it because to them, he was just another person, a little well off, but just like them. He would have climbed through a window to get to his room, but the guards were rotating at this time and the front was empty. Holding the cord that held the katana on his back, he walked towards the foyer and hid behind a wall to see if it was clear. The lanterns that lit the area glowed a warm orange, contrasting the white light of the moon that made its way in through the open sections of the castle. A lone figure sat in front of the scroll that was on display within the castle. Hanzo.

Genji felt his stomach drop. He was sure that his brother was asleep when he snuck out and was positive that no guards saw him. He felt a little peeved that Hanzo was sitting there waiting for him because he knew a lecture would come out it. He was tired of hearing his brother talk incessantly about needing to straighten up and help him with the family business but in all honesty, Genji wanted to just live his life like it's always been. Being able to eat out with friends, play video games, and just have a fun time was all he ever asked for and he was lucky enough that their father allowed it.

“Genji,” Hanzo announced loudly.

 _Great, here it comes again,_ Genji thought. He moved from his lousy hiding spot and walked towards his brother, flipping an arcade token in his pocket. His brother was still dressed in his archery clothes minus the bow and quiver, an odd sight to see Hanzo in considering it was getting close to three in the morning.

“Hello brother, shouldn’t you be sleeping for your meeting tomorrow?” Genji said casually. Hanzo didn’t budge from his position and remained silent, the scent of incense from the sticks he was burning was strong and making Genji’s nose hurt a bit. The younger brother shifted his weight on another leg waiting for a response, thinking of the next words he should say to placate his brother for the night. His eyes were a little strained from staring at the arcade screens for too long so to cut the conversation short would be ideal.

“Where did you go?” the older brother finally asked as he looked up at the scroll that hung in front of him.

“I went out with friends,” Genji spoke sweetly. “We were supposed to go to Tokyo but plans changed.” University was coming up again, most of them their final year except for Genji, and he wanted to treat them out before they started. Some wanted to stay around the area because it was late, so he pulled a few strings to get the arcade to themselves.

“Why must you act so irresponsible brother?” Hanzo chided,  standing up and turning to his brother. His expression showed everything Genji was expecting: anger and mostly disappointment.

“What? It was a few hours at the arcade, how is that irresponsible? It’s not like I’m causing any trouble,” Genji talked back, his temper spiking from the sudden accusation.

“Every night you're out somewhere spending money like it's nothing,” Hanzo complained. “We also have enemies at our front door but you don't seem worried. Not only is our family legacy at stake but our people, _our_ clan, yet you act like there is not a single thing in this world that worries you. Helping me run it would benefit us all Genji. Do you not care about the people that have raised you? That have stood by you your whole life?”

Genji rolled his eyes at his brother. Hanzo was always so tight laced it was almost sad to see. Yes he cared about their family, but the business? Not so much.  

“Does it really matter if I took an interest in the family business now? Everyone knows I don't care. You are the master not me,” Genji said, rubbing the back of his neck, annoyed. “Look, can we drop this for tonight brother? You can lecture me all you want tomorrow after your meeting.”

The younger brother took a few steps to head towards his room, trying to break out of the heated conversation. He figured that Hanzo would stop trying like he always did, but the older Shimada didn't take too kindly to it and took a step forward in his direction, blocking Genji.

“What is stopping you from taking responsibility? Your whole life has been supported by the wealth the clan has brought!” Hanzo shouted to get his brother to listen.

He looked at Genji straight in the eyes but the younger Shimada avoided his gaze, giving him an arrogant, irritated look with his arms crossed. Shouting apparently wasn't going to work, so he decided to drop a level lower.

“But I doubt you could ever survive without it, knowing how much of a brat you are. You’d lose all the friends you've bought with gifts and favors and you’d die out there because you have no experience of defending yourself outside of training. It was too bad that Father doted on you so. Look how useless you’ve become,” Hanzo said with a slight sneer on his lips.

There was a sudden animosity in Genji’s eyes as he dropped his arrogant attitude.

“Useless?! You’re bring this up _now?_ Who is the one who negotiated all those deals with Talon when you couldn't get a single thing through?” Genji shouted, feeling genuinely hurt. “What's more of a shame is how much Father loved me enough to give me a normal life. I'm _so_ sorry that your life has been so boring and restrained.”

Both brothers could feel this was the culmination of their frustrations with each other finally spilling out and it was rage inducing. Hanzo didn't respond to the comment immediately, feeling a bit of the sting of truth to his brother’s words. He took a deep breath then exhaled.

“It's true. Father did always love you more. I’ve always known that. He didn't let you go on contracts because he didn’t want to stain your hands red so that you could be what you wanted. Normal. Father always defended you for your actions, for your attitude, but he will not save you this time,” Hanzo spoke calmly, his demeanor returning to what it was before their argument.

The older brother drew his katana from its sheath that hung from his hip, making a sleek metal sound. Genji was taken aback. _What is he doing? Did he really just draw his sword against me?_  Genji thought. The younger brother laughed nervously, hoping it was some sick joke.

“Brother, really? There’s no need for that. I know I said some things that were uncalled for but I’ll listen, I promise,” Genji quickly appealed. He was used to having his brother give up after every heated argument but their father wasn't there to take his side. Panic started to run through his body, every single cell shrieking at him to run now, but he’d frozen at the sight of his brother’s sword, the cold metal reflecting the moonlight.

“As the master of the Shimada clan, I have judged you for what you are. Your wishes are different from ours, and you will lose everything for it. ”

The sentence was slow to process in Genji’s mind, every word a puzzle that he had a hard time decoding. Fatigue and panic mixed inside his mind, making him shake.

“D-Do you even understand what you're saying? Father wouldn’t want this! Yes I misspoke, I stepped out of line. I’m sorry. Hanzo, please, listen. I’m your brother,” Genji said desperately. 

“You are my brother no longer.”

Hanzo stepped forward, intent on doing what he set out to do while Genji backed up. The thought of running ran through his head again, but he knew that Hanzo or the guards would catch him. There was only one option.

“What’s wrong? Afraid to fight?” Hanzo taunted, holding his blade in position. “Of course you are.”

Genji drew his katana from his back quickly, holding it with his shaky hands.  He had to defend himself, he _had_ to, but like Hanzo had said, he’d never done any real fighting other than sparring. Being like his friends had a price that he had to pay now.

Hanzo moved swift to a strike, Genji’s reaction barely fast enough to parry the hit, the katana edging near his face. He looked into his brother’s eyes with disbelief, still unable to understand the full extent of what was going on. Hanzo’s eyes were empty, his expression blank. The younger brother dodged the upcoming attacks and returning some as he defended himself. Both brothers danced between their blades, the sound of metal clinking and grunts filling the foyer.

As Hanzo made another swing at his brother, Genji read his movements and countered hard. His katana cut into Hanzo’s, causing a piece to chip off and lock their blades. For a second, there was panic in Hanzo’s eyes and in Genji’s, hope, and saw a way to end the fight. Both moved their arms to enact what they wanted out of the lock, but Hanzo withdrew a second quicker and went for another strike. The younger brother used all his strength to deflect and throw Hanzo off of him but he wasn't fast enough to react to another slash that got him on his left arm. A deep cut. Blood was already seeping into his clothes. He tried to strike back but everything now was perfectly dodged or parried. The older brother struck back more and more furiously, making Genji back up more and more to the wall and he could only deflect so much. One cut on his shoulder, another on his right thigh, barely hitting a major blood vessel. Another slash got his face, cutting his lips all the way to the right side of his forehead and he could taste the blood that was quickly draining from him. There was little room left behind him and the younger brother could feel it. Every hit on his katana, every clink of metal that ringed in his ears told him of his impending death.

Hanzo made one final slash upwards, knocking the katana out of Genji's hand and making him open for one final attack.

“I thought I taught you how to fight better Genji.”

Hanzo paused as his brother dropped to the ground on his knees, out of breath. His bright blood stained the tatami mats and on the scroll behind him, which was now damaged.

“Brother…” Genji whispered, tears now staining his cheeks. “Please Hanzo, stop...It hurts.”

Genji could feel the pain of the cuts coming to him as his body worked desperately to keep him alive. Blood kept flowing, struggling to clot. He whimpered, the pain was too much and he could see dark spots in his vision. He was so afraid, so confused. He didn’t understand, he didn’t want to die, not like this. He could only think of a memory of Hanzo comforting him like he did as children, but that wasn't going to happen. He looked up at his brother, the same hollow eyes staring down at him. Hanzo raised his sword for one last attack.

“Goodbye Genji.”

* * *

 

Genji’s eyes fluttered open as he heard people fussing around him, multiple beeps of medical machines going off like phone alarms. The bed he was laying on was raised upwards so that the clinic staff could get a better look at him. He looked around to make sense of what was going on and as soon as the staff noticed, relief washed all over their faces. There were only three of them, a woman and two men all dressed in white lab coats, but one was missing, the most familiar of the four, Dr. Ziegler.

“Are you alright? Does everything feel okay?” one of the men asked. He was looking at charts as he asked. He kept looking back at Genji each time he saw something on the chart.

“I’m fine. I...was just having a nightmare,” Genji responded quietly.

“I see,” he replied back. He looked back at the other two working on the machines “Has everything stabilized?”

“Yes, everything is back to normal,” the woman replied as she flicked up a few switches. “That scared me for a bit. The glitch of his breathing systems is something we'll need to address. We should notify Dr. Ziegler immediately.”

He didn't pay much more attention to them, they were too busy talking about things he didn't really care for at the moment. _Is it already past noon?_ he wondered a bit dazed as he looked up at the clock on the wall across from him. The last time he remembered looking at it, it told him it was six in the evening.

Looking around the room again, he found the plain, windowless room empty. The three had left him to his own, which he preferred, but Genji felt like he’d notice them leave by now. The medicine they kept him on as he came out of the coma they’d put him in still made him sleepy, making it as if the coma never ended. With the seemingly endless limbo of wakefulness and drowsiness, it was hard for him to keep a grip on reality. His attention span was barely there for the time he was awake, sometimes he would blank out when someone interacted with him or he’d find that the person he thought was there wasn’t, but this was happening less often now. They’d been winding down on it as he began to practice moving his limbs and for the first time in a while, he had a sleep schedule.

Genji thought about the dream with his eyes closed, hoping the darkness would help him see it again. It was a memory that persisted in his dreams and reoccurred every so often but never as clear as this time. He could almost hear the gravel he stepped on as he walked towards the entrance of the castle, the crickets that sang their songs that night, and the sight of the moon, full and beautiful. The memory of Hanzo’s blade cutting into him was something he couldn’t forget, regardless of his new body. The dream only reminded him of the pain that was etched into his mind and he could feel exactly where. He brought his right mechanical hand up to his left shoulder and slid his fingers down jaggedly and diagonally across his chest. That was the final cut that Hanzo laid on him. He guessed that Hanzo felt he had done the job since he heard his brother’s footsteps on the blood soaked mats walk away. The only thing left was the stickiness of his blood on him, the rusted smell mixing with the incense before he blacked out. It was what Genji remembered the most, the disgusting smell that stayed with him until the end.

His eyes met the plain white ceiling he’d grown familiar with as he thought of his brother. The death of their father had really changed Hanzo as the responsibility of master rested on his shoulders. His once calm and patient demeanor disappeared when he saw their father slip away. All of a sudden, he commanded a powerful criminal syndicate that stretched beyond their home in Japan and he had many of the elders bidding for his favor. He was sure that the same elders convinced Hanzo to do what he did, but that wasn’t what embittered Genji, it was the fact that Hanzo agreed it was the right thing to do. His brother had always been one to follow the rules, who had a strong sense of honor and responsibility, but to go so far as to kill his own brother? There was nothing more painful for Genji to think that in that moment Hanzo believed he was doing the right thing and probably still thinks he did.

He wanted to curl into a ball and forget everything, but the wires and tubes that were connected to him acted like restraints and reminders. He felt a feeling he couldn't put in one word: a mix of anger, sadness, nauseousness and helplessness. Who could he confide in to get rid of this feeling he was having? The idea of his friends back home popped up. He could tell them anything, though it had to be tweaked a little to keep up appearances, but they wouldn't have even recognize him, much less believe him.

Genji came to face the reality that had been set upon him. He was thousands of miles away from his home in a foreign country with his body replaced before he even became aware that he was still alive. With Dr. Ziegler being in charge of creating his body, their relationship had been awkward at best and he didn't trust her. He felt grateful that he was given a second chance but at the same time, violated. Violated that his body was no longer his, owned by the organization that demanded him to help dismantle his clan, violated that what he woke up to was not him. The realization brought him to tears. It couldn't be contained any longer as he began to shake, sobbing quietly and clenching his jaw. Hanzo was right. He lost everything.


End file.
